How to Handle Questions During Presentations
Answering questions during a presentation can be the most nerve wracking experience ever. I’ve had nightmares where I was unable to answer any question during a presentation, looking at the disappointed faces of my peers. I wish I knew the points mentioned in this article back then. Lucky for you, I’ve compiled a list of tips you can use to be more prepared at answering audience questions during your presentations. So sit back, go through the entire article, and try out the tips listed here!
To start off, there are some things you need to take care of before the presentation…
Before the presentation:
Anticipate potential questions.
While preparing your presentation, keep a notebook and a pen aside. Think about what your audience might be interested in or confused about, and note down potential questions in your notebook as you work on your presentation. Prepare answers to those questions before your presentation.
Decide a time when you will take questions.
You can have a specific moment during your presentation where you take questions. This can help you maintain your flow during your presentation. An unexpected question during your presentation can disrupt your presentation, causing you to lose momentum and maybe even lose track of time. If someone comes up with a question during your presentation, politely let them know that you’ll be taking questions later (at the time you decided). You can even let the audience know beforehand when they can ask questions.
Prepare some standard responses for your questions. You can say “that’s a great question!” or something similar. Doing this shows confidence and preparedness.
Finally, before your presentation, practice answering questions. This will help you feel confident and comfortable when you need to take questions.
Here are some things you need to do during the presentation:
During the presentation:
Appear confident and approachable.
When an audience member asks a question, look at them, make eye contact and smile.
Pay attention to the question.
You might hear a question that you’ve already prepared an answer for, and jump ahead with answering it, only for it to turn out to an entirely different question! Make sure you understand what the person is asking before you start to answer their question.
In case you’re confused, you can ask them to repeat the question. Restating the question will also help.
Like I mentioned above, do not rush to answer the question. Pause before answering. This will give you a moment to think about your answer. Make sure your answer is concise, and avoid going off on tangents. Try to only answer their question. You can even use visuals to support your answer, but you may need to prepare some addition slides for this.
Always be honest and direct while answering your questions. If you do not know the answer to a question, say so. You can always offer to find out the answer and get back to the person later. Finally, thank the person for their question.
Here are are some additional tips that might help you answer questions during your presentation:
Additional tips:
You can use humor to reduce tension.
But a word of caution, this could backfire! A well-placed joke can help lighten the mood, and make the Q&A session more fun. This works best when you’re presenting to people you are familiar with, and might not work in a professional setting or if you barely know the audience.
Be prepared with answers to difficult questions.
There will always be someone who might ask a tough question. Be prepared and answer it calmly, with confidence.
Never take questions personally.
Some questions might make it look like people are critical of your work. Do not take it personally. Focus on providing a clear, concise and confident answer.
In case you’re unable to answer someone’s question, make sure you follow up with them later on. This shows them that you value their question.
Conclusion
Answering questions during your presentations can seem scary, but these tips will definitely help you. If you found this article helpful, consider bookmarking our blog and coming back to read more articles that will help you present confidently. That’s it for now, happy presenting!
